Savage at Heart
by Cayah
Summary: When she gets the opportunity to escape her factionless life, she decides to take the bait; the will to find her parents hopefully stronger than the seemingly fatal pull of the attractive tattooed leader holding all the strings. / EricxOC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **Welcome, dear reader! Ever since I saw "Divergent", I couldn't get it out of my head or system. The society of future Chicago pictured by Veronica Roth drew me in and wouldn't let go of me until I wrote a few paragraphs, and after reading several fanfictions involving Eric and an OC, I couldn't do anything but let my muse guide my fingers, resulting in this story. I have to warn you, though, I might get some things within the "Divergent"-world wrong and I apologize beforehand - I just ordered the book, but I couldn't wait with my fanfiction until I've read all of them, so forgive any mistakes. I have a plan for this story, but it isn't much longer than 15k now, I just wanted to give you a sneak-peek! So without further ado, enjoy the prologue! And please review!

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><p><strong><span>Disclaimer:<span>** "Divergent" is the property of Veronica Roth and Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment. This fanfiction is non-profit and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Timeline:** Story begins a few years after Four and Eric's initiation, the war has not taken place.

**Main Characters:** Eric, OC

**Summary:** When she gets the opportunity to escape her factionless life, she decides to take the bait; the will to find her parents hopefully stronger than the seemingly fatal pull of the attractive tattooed leader holding all the strings.

**Rating:** T

**Additional Notes:** Four and Eric are described as pictured in the movie "Divergent", their ages are both 24, not 17 as in the books.

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><p><em>SAVAGE AT HEART<em>

_- by __**Cayah**_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Her eyes followed the crowd that gathered before the building eagerly, enviously, as she watched the teens from all the different factions line up to await their Aptitude Test, which would eventually help them decide which faction they would like to join. Her gaze flickered over the different factions, her heart churning as it yearned to join her peers, while her mind knew that it was impossible. By the law, she didn't belong to any of the factions, as her parents committed one of the most severe crimes in her society. They met each other during their Aptitude Test, a young girl from Amity and a wild boy from Dauntless. Against all odds, they fell in love, but they remained in their factions and led a secret relationship. She was the result of their clandestine love. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep it a secret, and so they were brought before the court, to be rendered factionless, but in the end, the governmental council decided on a much more cruel solution. They separated the two lovers and instead of rendering them factionless, they took away their daughter from the Amity, where she had been living with her mother, made sure that they would not be able to see her or each other again and rendered her factionless in their stead. A girl of five years, left to the sake of the streets and the occasional help of the members of Abnegation, never to feel the love of her parents or the warmth of a real home anymore. Factionless were not allowed to take part in the Aptitude Tests, therefore she was doomed to remain factionless and sit by idly, watching the teenagers of Chicago who had more luck than her decide to live a happy life in their desired faction while it would forever be out of reach for her and she would remain on the streets for the rest of her life.

xXx

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><p><em>I hope it ignited a spark of interest and I invite you to read another chapter! :)<em>


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Here's the first chapter! It's rather short and might seem rushed - I've read several fanfictions and sometimes I thought the whole Aptitude Test/Choosing Ceremony to be quite repetetive, once ore twice even boring, so I didn't want to torture you with that. But if you think I left out too much, feel free to tell me that! I don't have a beta, so forgive any mistakes and enjoy the first chapter!

And please review!

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><p><strong><span>Disclaimer:<span>** "Divergent" is the property of Veronica Roth and Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment. This fanfiction is non-profit and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Timeline:** Story begins a few years after Four and Eric's initiation, the war has not taken place.

**Main Characters:** Eric, OC

**Pairing:** EricxOC

**Summary:** When she gets the opportunity to escape her factionless life, she decides to take the bait; the will to find her parents hopefully stronger than the seemingly fatal pull of the attractive tattooed leader holding all the strings.

**Rating:** T

**Additional Notes:** Four and Eric are described as pictured in the movie "Divergent", their ages are both 24, not 17 as in the books.

* * *

><p><em>SAVAGE AT HEART<em>

_- by __**Cayah**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

The knife scraped across the wood in similar intervals, her hands carving a stake with slow and sure movements, while she sat leaning against the cold, moist wall of a destroyed building, her face turned down, head covered beneath a hood which she had sewn from different pieces of material she had found. She looked up from under the garment without raising her head, eyeing the Dauntless men suddenly approaching the small group of factionless people sitting in the sun a few feet away from her. It wasn't an unusual sight for her.

Every now and again, a few Dauntless guards who patrolled the city would come by, either to separate fighting factionless or to pick a fight with them. The people had gotten quite calm these days and there wasn't much to do for the Dauntless guards, but their personalities were wild and fearless and a few individuals did enjoy proving their strength, even if it was to people as meaningless to them as the factionless. They didn't have to fear consequences; after all, the people they picked fights with were only a few factionless hobos. Right now, the guards were followed by an Erudite man in a business suit – the light blue of his suit presented a striking difference in regards to the dark, ragged clothes of the factionless and merely emphasized the equally grand difference between both parties.

The Erudite cleared his throat, trying to draw the attention of the people sitting on the ground but he didn't exactly succeed. Factionless were disregarded, looked down upon and downright hated by every faction – well, maybe except of the Amity, but only because hatred went against their principles – so they did not think any of the words spat by a member of any faction to be of any worth to them, deciding to ignore them rather than pay attention. She agreed – no member of any faction has ever had good news for her, ever since she had been thrown out of her faction, so why would she want to waste her time on news that wouldn't help her in any way? Since it was an Erudite and not Candor, who would occasionally ask factionless to help them with the development of their new serums in exchange for clothes or food, she doubted that the information would be of any value. Still, she continued her work silently and listened to the words with half an ear.

"As you might know, the time for the aptitude tests is drawing close. This year, a grand honor awaits you, as the government has decided to include all of our city's youth – therefore, everybody without faction and within the age span of 16 to 20 years is allowed to take part in the Aptitude Tests and the Initiation to try and join one of the five factions."

Her head gave a slight jerk and her eyes widened a fraction as she listened out of the shadows, processing the novelties while the factionless started to murmur beneath their breaths, some even grumbling loudly, so that she missed half of what the Erudite added, nearly missing the date of the Aptitude Test, on which she would have to appear. She noticed the lack of interest from the other factionless sitting around – it was understandable, as most of them were not included in the age span so they didn't meet the expectations – still she decided to remain silent, too. But what she did was carve the date of the aptitude test into the stake, seemingly concentrated on her work as her head was still turned downwards while the Dauntless guards escorted the Erudite back and the grumbles of the factionless fell silent. She sat, continuing her work on the tip to sharpen it further, dismissing the sounds and the people surrounding her as her thoughts driftedthrough the possibilities that were presented to her through this unique opportunity.

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><p>Her head was covered by her hood as she walked out of the shadows, her hand playing with the wooden stake in her pocket while she made her way to the school building – a building she never would have thought to enter ever. A grand crowd was gathered before it and even more people were approaching – it was exactly as she remembered it from the years before. The day of the Aptitude Tests has arrived. She had always wanted to take part in it, hoping despite all odds to somehow, by some kind of luck, be able to return to her parents, or to at least see them again. But when her sixteenth birthday passed, she lost all the hope she had accumulated over the years – it was useless, she wouldn't see them again, ever.<p>

And now, she was standing here.

Three years later, part of the crowd of teens to become full members of one faction for the rest of their lives. The only difference between now and three years ago was the sixth door leading inside the building. It was marked by an empty circle. The sign of the Factionless. She let her gaze roam over the people, noticing the lack of factionless participants as she headed for that door. She knew that there wouldn't be many volunteers to begin with– either they didn't want to take part in this whole debacle, they didn't want to join a faction or just didn't believe that they could. She understood their hesitation. If she weren't as determined to leave the streets and find her parents, if there wasn't anything waiting for her behind the closed doors of a faction and within their cages, she wouldn't even try to become an initiate – despite the horrible conditions, being factionless had one advantage she would miss while being a member of a faction – freedom. The factionless enjoyed the disregard of all the factions, therefore they were as free from all the laws and restrictions as birds – as long as they didn't try to act up and against the existing government. And they didn't. They didn't have any support from any faction – it would be a suicide mission.

As she walked on, her steps slow and definite, she was suddenly barged into by a boy. He wore an Erudite blue shirt, his eyes were framed by a pair of glasses, which did nothing to hide the menacing and hateful gleam in his gaze. She eyed him warily while he sneered at her, hissing "Filthy factionless" loudly, which led to the turning of several heads in the perimeter, before he laughed out loud, high fived his two friends who joined in with his laughter and continued on to his door, adorned by a circle with a single blue eye. She did not raise her head, nor did she respond to his insult in any kind of way, although her grip around the stake did become tighter and her eyes narrowed as she felt the gazes of the other participants, weighting down on her shoulders heavily. She hid her face beneath her hood, not increasing nor decreasing in speed to not make it seem as if she were somehow affected by that little incident. _Erudite brat_, she thought silently, before she decided to forget him.

She reached the door and entered the building, her steps sure and not faltering as she was convinced that by tomorrow, she would belong to a faction and face a new life away from the streets of the destroyed Chicago.

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><p>She surveyed the room, eyes scanning over the ranks and benches of people taking part in the Choosing Ceremony, as she stepped out of the shadows where she had been leaning against the wall, fingers twirling the stake beneath her robe around, inquisitive eyes watchful as she waited for herselg to be called upon. And she was, though not by name as the other participants.<p>

She couldn't give them her name, else they would know who she was and would not let her take part in the initiation, she was sure of that. At the inscription, she had gotten nervous when asked for her name, so she answered that she didn't have a name, leading to her being called The Factionless Girl. It felt weird, as if it was a title – a title that would remain hers, even if she joined a faction – at least that's what she feared at the moment she heard the speaker announce her as the last person to choose a faction.

Right now, she was making her way down the stairs, feeling the weight of hundreds of stares on her back, some were curious, others hateful or pitiful. She didn't care. All she cared about were the five bowls that were lying before her and the choice she now had to make, a choice that would ultimately change the course of her life. She took the ceremonial knife in her hands, her fingers tracing the cold blade gently, almost lovingly. Her hands did not tremble the slightest bit as she drew the tip along her headline, applying pressure until it broke through her skin, crimson drops of blood pooling inside her palm which she then brought out above the different bowls, her gaze eyeing every bowl closely.

Grey stones for Abnegation, earth for Amity, glass for Candor, water for Erudite and lit coals for Dauntless.

Her heart beat in her throat rapidly, it was ungraspable how grand of a decision was here, lying before her in something as trivial as bowls. As soon as she made her decision, her life would do a U-turn, she would have a home, she would no longer live on the streets. The feeling was exhilarating as butterflies swarmed in her stomach and her breathing became hollow. And even though she could choose between five factions, her mind had already dismissed three possibilities, leaving her heart to do the final decision.

She took one final, deep breath before she turned her hand around, palm facing down as her blood dripped down and the hall erupted in cheers while she raised her head, taking in her rejoicing new family while the coals beneath her hand continued to sizzle.

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><p>Her head was still covered by her hood as she ran out of the hub, the Dauntless members jumping and sprinting next to her, their laughter and cheering filled the air as they made their way to the tracks. She knew the ritual, had observed it for some years now, out of the shadows of the destroyed buildings, and she knew there was a faster route to the tracks.<p>

The train was off-limits for all non-Dauntless people, but it was a means to reach a destination in such a fast time, that she used it quite often – travelling on the roof rather than inside the train, in an attempt to not get herself caught by the Dauntless. So when the Dauntless members and initiates took a right turn, she decided to take off to her favorite point of entering the train, so she ran straight, took a left turn, took the dilapidated stairs of an equally destroyed former hospital until she reached the roof, the sounds of the nearing train already making the unstable bricks vibrate beneath her feet as she hurried across the roof, jumping at the last possible moment down onto the ceiling of the last train compartment, her feet almost slipping off the side.

She managed to hold on to the metal, before she slowly slid down the side of the moving train and jumped into the carriage, her breath hitching in her throat as she was suddenly standing face to face with a tall, tattooed Dauntless member with the brightest and hardest iron eyes she had ever had the pleasure to be impaled with.

xXx

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><p><em>I hope you liked it so far! :)<em>

_You're cordially invited to read another chapter and leave a review!_


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Second Chapter is up! Thank you for the reviews DD and MaddyMoo25, as well as to those who put the story on your alert/favourite lists! I hope I won't disappoint you! :)

Now, enjoy the chapter and my first take on Eric's character! Please review and tell me your thoughts on my portrayal of him :)

**WARNING: **Forgive me if you're offended by the use of the word **"f**k"** and please tell me if I need to change the rating, I'm never quite sure about it.

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><p><strong><span>Disclaimer:<span>** "Divergent" is the property of Veronica Roth and Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment. This fanfiction is non-profit and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Timeline:** Story begins a few years after Four and Eric's initiation, the war has not taken place.

**Main Characters:** Eric, OC

**Summary:** When she gets the opportunity to escape her factionless life, she decides to take the bait; the will to find her parents hopefully stronger than the seemingly fatal pull of the attractive tattooed leader holding all the strings.

**Rating:** T

**Additional Notes:** Four and Eric are described as pictured in the movie "Divergent", their ages are both 24, not 17 as in the books.

* * *

><p><em>SAVAGE AT HEART<em>

_- by __**Cayah**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

Her eyes widened as she hurried to bring space between herself and the intimidating man, but soon enough, he had her pinned against the wall of the compartment, the back of her head colliding painfully with the metal, her body inches away from the open door. He stared her down with daunting eyes and she gulped.

"Only Dauntless have the right to use the trains. Are you suicidal, Factionless?" he hissed, tightening the grip of his hand around her throat to intensify the threat looming in his eyes.

_Well, shit._

She narrowed her eyes at him, ideas how to get herself out of the predicament racing through her head until she decided on one. She widened her eyes, whimpering silently and halfheartedly raising her hands to push him away, obviously without any success. He scoffed and raised an unimpressed, pierced eyebrow and she knew she convinced him that she was weak. He loosened his grip around her throat very slightly which was her sign to attack. In a fast movement, she raised one arm, thrusting her elbow into the crook of the arm that held her captive, effectively making him let go of her throat before she turned halfway around and attacked the man with her shoulder, catching him off-guard which was why he stumbled back a few steps. It gave her the perfect chance to throw him off his feet by jumping on him, straddling his waist before she took the stake out of its pocket and raised it above his face, aiming at him. She moved her hand downwards with intent, but all the stake did was graze the man's cheek as he turned away rapidly. She didn't expect him to attack so openly, so she wasn't ready for the punch that immediately send her flying backwards, the stake falling out of her hand and the hood slipping from her head, revealing her face, the bright blue eyes and her long, dark hair. The tattooed man imitated her earlier position and straddled her, remedying her earlier mistake by grabbing her hands and pressing them into the ground next to her head, rendering her completely immobile and unable to free herself. She tried desperately to struggle free, to throw him off her hips but it was all in vain. She thumped her head against the floor and sighed angrily in defeat.

"Definitely suicidal." He huffed, his jaw clicking while he stood up, grabbing her arm and hoisting her up. He dragged her over to the door; she felt the wind brush through her locks as she was halfway out of the compartment, the only thing keeping her from falling was the man holding her arm in a tight grip.

_The man who just punched you in the face. Technically, you're already dead. _Still, she stared into his eyes defiantly, unwilling to appear weak even though she'd obviously lost the fight. His face was stern but she saw a gleam in his eyes, they held his excitement from the fight, it was almost palpable. He clearly enjoyed to fight and to hurt. Freaking sadist.

"You'd do good not to fuck with somebody you clearly can't take on, initiate." He pressed a thumb into the hand she had to cut during the Choosing Ceremony, eliciting a light whimper from her lips before he pushed her out of the carriage, the last thing she saw was his all but manic grin as he brushed away the single drop of blood running down his cheek like a tear, before he turned around and disappeared out of the door and she collided with the hard ground.

.

Sounds of cheers and laughter reached her ears and she knew she was not dead. She opened her eyes and looked around, noticing the back of the train drawing further away rapidly, the wood beneath her hands and the roofs of various buildings surrounding her, before she was startled by a hand reaching over the edge of the wooden planks, belonging to a boy who hoisted himself up. His black clothes indicated that he was Dauntless-born and she hurried to cover her head with her hood, which was something like a shield to her, hiding her from everybody around her. She heard his boots hit the wooden planks and he inhaled sharply, probably because he'd noticed her.

She was still sitting on the ground, pain pulsing in her tailbone from the impact, but she didn't let it be seen, instead she pulled the knife out of her pocket – why hadn't she used that against her train attacker? – and started to play with it, partly to intimidate him, partly to make it obvious that she was not unarmed and harmless.

"Hey, you're the Fa-"

He was cut off by another Dauntless climbing onto the platform. "Fucking hell! Next time I'll be first!", he roared, taking the hand offered to him by the other Dauntless who was laughing.

"Yeah, we'll see about that, Cho.", he grinned, glancing her way, while more and more Dauntless initiates made it onto the platform. His curious eyes remained on her for a few seconds, but ultimately, they took his attention off of her, and apparently, she was disregarded once again. _Nothing I don't know from the street. _Soon, there were too many Dauntless-born and transfers to count and she stood up, keeping to herself and using the blade of her knife to cool her cheek, still burning from the Dauntless man's – her Train Attacker's – punch. She was angry at him for dismissing her so easily, but she was a tiny bit proud for having hurt him, too, even if it was just a scratch across his cheek. She decided not to contemplate the man any longer, as she would surely not see him again, _I mean, how high are the chances? _

Her attention was ripped from this thought when she heard the screeching of wheels against iron – the train was approaching. The new initiates perked up their ears, the Dauntless-born already used to the procedure while the transfers were looking around confused. She kept her head low as she concentrated on the vibration beneath her feet. She started running before the other initiates did, the Dauntless close to her heels as the train whooshed by them and she grabbed onto a handle, hoisting herself into the first compartment with practiced ease, before she took a few steps inside and sat down, leaning against the far wall, hood covering her eyes.

What it did not fully cover, however, where her ears and she heard the quiet murmurs of the initiates around her, undoubtedly gossiping about her already. Her, the silent girl without a name, the first to be on the platform and on the train, the Factionless Girl. She didn't care for their words; she was here to become a Dauntless and to meet her father, not to make friends. She pulled her knife out again, starting to clean her nails with the sharp tip, ignorant of all the voices around her. Suddenly, somebody kicked against the sole of her shoes and she halted in her movement, albeit not raising her head.

"You, hobo, what're you doing in the Dauntless compartment?"

She raised an eyebrow, huffed and went on cleaning her nails.

"Didn't you hear me?", he kicked her again, this time with more force, but she was used to being kicked. The streets were not an easy place to survive for a kid. "Are you a fucking mute?" he roared and she rolled her eyes, a grin spreading her lips at the easiness of riling up a Dauntless without actually doing anything.

"Fucking factionless." Her grin disappeared. He was about to kick her one more time but she was faster, catching his foot with her hand and jerking harshly, making him lose his footing and fall to the ground with a loud thud. The train became silent. With a fast movement, her knife was buried in the material of his pants, barely missing his leg as she pinned it to the floor of the car and hovered perched above him, her hood covering her face to everybody observing the scene but the young boy who stared at her with wide eyes.

"I'm a _fucking _Dauntless initiate, prick." She hissed into his face, looking up to see the roof they were supposed to jump on through the open door coming closer, before she looked down again. "Hurry up, kid, or _you'll_ become _fucking factionless_." She remarked bitingly, before she jerked the knife out of the ground and stood up, racing across the empty space between her and the door and jumping out of the cart, a round of gasps accompanying her actions before she landed a bit ungracefully on the gravel roof and rolled over, her tailbone protesting wildly and pulsing at the impact, but she didn't care as she sat up, adjusting her hood and grinning widely. She was followed by the rest of the initiates jumping off of the train, some in a far more graceful manner than her, but then again, they had surely had more opportunities to practice than her. She walked across the roof, keeping a healthy distance to all the initiates as they gathered in small groups.

"Listen up, everybody!", somebody, whom she knew to be a leader of Dauntless, shouted and immediately all the murmurs and conversations fell silent. He was tall and dark-skinned, and he stood above all the initiates on the edge behind which laid the abyss and – as she knew – the way into the Dauntless headquarters. "You're the new Dauntless initiates, and as such, you have to be brave and fearless!"

The Dauntless-born crowd hollered and cheered, she saw the transfers looking worried and confused around the roof. Obviously. They had no idea what awaited them and if she didn't know any better, she would be terrified as well. It was such a great advantage for her to have observed the rites of initiation outside of the Dauntless headquarters these past years – as it was definitely the most interesting out of the five factions – and she would use it for personal gain. She didn't care what the others thought about her actions, all she wanted was to be at the top, which would undoubtedly help her with reaching her aim.

"To prove that you are both", a different voice said from behind them and she listened up, her posture going rigid as she felt somebody brush past her, almost knocking her off her feet while he approached the leader. When he turned around and faced the crowd, he had a nearly unnoticeable half-smirk on his lips and a long cut across his cheek. Her Train Attacker. "You have to jump."

Murmurs erupted all around out of the initiates, everybody looked around worriedly while her eyes remained on the tattooed man who seemed to enjoy the terrified gazes of the initiates as he and the dark-skinned man stepped aside, pointing behind them and to the abyss.

"Dauntless believe in bold deeds!", he continued, shutting them all up at once and letting his gaze roam over everybody, his eyes remaining a tiny instant longer on her, before moving on. "So where's a volunteer?"

Collective silence was the answer to his question. Their heads were hanging low, nobody, not even the Dauntless-born, dared to volunteer to jump the eight stories, even though logic stated that the Dauntless leaders would surely not kill their initiates in a neck-breaking stunt. The man's face darkened and became serious as after a full minute, nobody volunteered.

"And you bunch of cowards want to be Dauntless!? If you don't jump", he began, scanning the crowd, his eyes landing on her. "You'll all become fa-"

"I'll do it.", she interrupted him, holding his gaze with her own while she pushed through the gathered initiates, her hand twirling the blade around in her pocket. She thought there to be a spark of something in his eyes but he remained serious as she drew closer.

"The Factionless Girl.", the dark-skinned man observed with a grin on his face and her eyes flickered to him momentarily, before they settled back on her Train Attacker.

"No desire to return to the street, Factionless?" The tattooed man asked, giving a short, pejorative laugh that rather resembled a bark while she stepped up to him, planting her foot on the edge and glancing downwards. She was lucky not to have fear of heights, though her heart did skip a beat as she looked into the pitch-black hole beneath her feet.

She stood on the edge and turned around slowly, her face a mask of indifference as she stood facing the other initiates but looking straight ahead, over their heads. "That cut on your cheek suits you." She returned sarcastically, her eyes covered by her hood, only the Cheshire Cat grin was visible as she leaned backwards and let herself fall into the abyss, a choir of gasps and screams accompanying her silent descent into the black hole beneath them.

.

She felt the impact on her tailbone once more and whimpered silently as pain rushed through her whole body, but she didn't gave a single sound, unwilling to let anyone see weakness in her, especially not that infuriating man who was still standing several feet above her. The net on which she landed jumped twice before it was pulled down on one side and a hand helped her get out of it. She raised her eyes to the man before her, his brown-green eyes shining while a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "What's your name?", he asked her immediately after she stood on her feet.

She deliberated the question. She knew that she would have to tell them a name, even if she got through the Aptitude Test and the Choosing Ceremony without one, it was clear to her that she couldn't remain nameless forever. It was also crystal clear to her that she could never give them her full name, it was just too much of a risk to somehow be revealed, on the other hand she didn't want to deny the choice her parents had made – one of the only choices that weren't fatal to her life. She decided not to give them her whole name, instead opting for only her first name.

The man nodded once and turned away from her.

"First jumper: Rhea!"

She turned around and faced the Dauntless as the hall erupted in cheers and welcomed their first jumper into their midst.

xXx

_So, what did you think? Did I get Eric more or less right? Leave me a review and let me know!_

_And if you think I should change the rating to M, also please tell me :)_


	4. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thank you _jemlou_, _lauralou08, "cool", Maddymoo25 _and _"guest"_ for your reviews as well as everybody who favorited/followed the story! Nice to see that you read it :) Here's chapter 3, I hope you like it!

On another note, please tell me if you think my OC is turning into a Mary-Sue? :o I know she seems quite strong now, but there's much more to her character than that, although it remains to be revealed in future chapters. Give me a hint if you would answer that question with a yes and I'll look into that.

For now, enjoy the chapter! :)

* * *

><p><strong><span>Disclaimer:<span>** "Divergent" is the property of Veronica Roth and Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Entertainment. This fanfiction is non-profit and no copyright infringement is intended.

**Timeline:** Story begins a few years after Four and Eric's initiation, the war has not taken place.

**Main Characters:** Eric, OC

**Summary:** When she gets the opportunity to escape her factionless life, she decides to take the bait; the will to find her parents hopefully stronger than the seemingly fatal pull of the attractive tattooed leader holding all the strings.

**Rating:** T

**Additional Notes:** Four and Eric are described as pictured in the movie "Divergent", their ages are both 24, not 17 as in the books.

* * *

><p><em>SAVAGE AT HEART<em>

_- by __**Cayah**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

"First factionless transfer, first on the platform, first on the train _and_ the first jumper? You definitely set a standard there."

Rhea raised her head slightly as she heard the whispered words being obviously spoken to her. Raising an eyebrow, she noticed the initiate that had been first on the platform after her standing next to her, eyeing her curiously once again. He was tall, at least 6'2 with a mop of dark curls on his head, olive skin and brown eyes. He was trained, though not overly so, he wasn't exactly bulky but visibly ripped. He smiled a smile that might have been considered charming, but Rhea wouldn't be so easily charmed by it. She had taught herself not to trust too fast and that especially the nice people turned out to be the worst, so she decided to dismiss his charm and focus on his intentions first. She gave him a long, blank look, trying to discourage him from approaching her but he just laughed out loud, turning a few heads.

"Come on", he bumped his shoulder into hers in a friendly manner and she looked at him dubiously, raising both eyebrows. "I don't want to insult you to get you to speak like our dear little Trevor did on the train, huh, Trev?", he nodded at the boy standing a few feet away, who had obviously made it out of the train on time.

_What a shame_., she thought, a smirk playing around her lips as Trevor flipped the boy next to her off. "Yeah, he's a sweetheart. And I'm Crowley. "

His grin was wide and unfamiliar to her. On the street, there weren't many reasons to smile or laugh; the only smiles she ever received were the pitiful ones from members of Abnegation or sometimes menacing smirks from Dauntless guards. She was unused to having happy and bright people around her. Well, people in general. Rhea preferred to keep to herself, that way, she would never have to think twice about doing something, because there was never anyone else to consider, anyone who might be influenced by her choices, and she liked it that way. However, she admitted that in here, it might be better to get along with people – not all the Factionless lived on the street their whole life, they either decided to leave their factions or got kicked out, and there were several ex-Dauntless men and women who had many stories to tell about life in Dauntless, while they sat around a makeshift fireplace, huddling close to beat the cold nibbling at their toes. Life in Amity – or at least what she remembered of it – was obviously nothing compared to life in Dauntless, and it would do her good to have at least some kind of support. A Dauntless-born who had been first on the platform could definitely _not_ be the worst kind.

"Rhea.", she returned at last after contemplating him, and if it was possible, his grin became even wider. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was promptly interrupted.

"Initiates!" Crowley and Rhea turned around as the man who helped them out of the net spoke up. The other initiates fell silent and gathered around the man, Rhea staying back again with Crowley at her side, not within the crowd but able to hear the words well enough. "I'm Four and I am one of your instructors during Initiation. In Dauntless, Initiation is divided into three stages. The physical, the emotional and the mental. To become a member of Dauntless, you have to pass all three stages."

"What do you mean, to become a member? Aren't we already members?" a girl interrupted him and Rhea had to suppress a shudder seeing Four's darkening eyes now directed at the short girl wearing Erudite blue. Of course.

"You're initiates.", he merely replied, raising an eyebrow as if daring her to ask another question. Obviously, she didn't notice the threat in his eyes as she did continue talking, her Erudite curiosity showing through.

"Yeah, I got that from your shouting." Rhea's eyebrow rose at the impertinence with which the girl spoke – she was almost impressed by it. "So if we don't pass the stages-"

"You'll become factionless." Another man chimed in and she turned her head to find the source of the voice standing a few feet away; after only a few hours, that voice almost seemed familiar to her. She narrowed her eyes as she found her Train Attacker skipping over the crowd with his blank eyes, before his gaze moved on and settled onto the girl that was talking before. "I advise you not to fail."

Roars of outrage resounded within the hall as the initiates began protesting the procedure and the fact that nobody told them about this prior to choosing. Rhea remained silent. It's not like they didn't know that Dauntless wouldn't be exactly a walk in the park like it would be in Amity. Dauntless were fighters, always striving to be fearless and bold and it was quite obvious that the initiates wouldn't just sit around doing nothing – they had to prove to the leaders that they were worthy of the fire in their ring.

"Shut up!", the man growled and chills ran down her spine at the intimidating tone of his voice. The others initiates became silent at once and she raised the corner of her mouth – they reminded her of obedient puppies. Four continued to explain the stages, but Rhea didn't listen, her attention was focused on the man to Four's right. His stance was ramrod straight, chin raised, hands crossed behind his back like the military man that the Dauntless were. The black clothing fitted to his form like a second skin, weapons were visible at his sides, a tattoo was running down the sides of his throat, his ears and left eyebrow were pierced, his hair was cut military short on the sides, only the top was a bit longer like a Mohawk. His countenance was intriguing and irritating at once. Rhea leaned to the side, bumping into Crowley's shoulder like he did to hers before.

"So, who's that guy next to Four?" she asked, looking straight ahead above Four's head, giving the impression that she was silently listening to his words while actually listening to Crowley.

"Of course", Crowley sighed, mock-sulkily. "I want her to talk to me and she doesn't, but when she does, it's about another man. I'm actually hurt by that." He brought a hand to his chest as if it was indeed hurting him and Rhea couldn't suppress a slight smirk, bumping his shoulder once more.

"Shut up.", she scolded him playfully and he smiled widely, before a threatening voice cut through to the hall, silencing them at once.

"Both of you shut up!" Rhea looked up to see the icy stare of her Train Attacker pierce through her and she raised an eyebrow at him, her smirking lips slowly turning down at the edges, morphing into a purse-lipped scowl. His gaze wandered to Crowley and seemed to become even darker, while Crowley sank his head, apparently acknowledging his authority. Rhea wasn't about to do the same – she wouldn't bow down before him. "Unless you want to return where you came from, Factionless, you'll keep your mouth shut when your superior talks."

Rhea's body became rigid again, her nostrils flared and fury lightened up her blue eyes as he mocked her and her past once again. His blank expression infuriated her even more and her hand already twitched to grab the knife that hung at her side. But she decided against it, keeping a leveled head and straightening her spine, she raised her head and stared hard into his eyes. "I'm not Factionless, I'm Dauntless." she corrected him harshly and felt Crowley's hand around her arm, trying to hold her back. She tugged herself free from his grip angrily, not liking the feeling of being forcefully urged to submit herself, and decided to stay calm and collected, her eyes losing the furious edge entirely as she turned her gaze back to Four, ignoring the stares from all the other initiates and her Train Attacker, whom she dismissed easily. He wasn't going to get under her skin, she wouldn't let him get to her with a few hurtful remarks, not if keeping her aloof façade and finding her father was at stake.

"We'll see about that, first jumper." Four chimed in now and turned back to the other initiates. He continued explaining the first stage of Initiation and soon he split the group into transfers and Dauntless-born. The transfers stayed with him while the Dauntless-born followed a woman named Lauren, who was their instructor. Crowley saw Rhea off with a "See you later!" as she followed Four and the other transfers to the sleeping area, where all the transfers would sleep together.

Some of the girls seemed to be ashamed and to feel uncomfortable with the fact that boys would be sleeping right next to them, these thoughts became even more obvious when they saw the communal showers, but Rhea couldn't care less. Ever since she was five, people were constantly sleeping somewhere in the perimeter, a bed and a shower were luxuries she hadn't possessed and she wasn't about to complain about a few kids that might see her half-naked body.

Four told them to change into Dauntless gear and bring the clothes from their old faction to the incinerator. Rhea did so with pleasure. Her clothing had consisted of a pair of too long trousers which she had to fold over so they wouldn't drag on the floor, a ragged t-shirt and something like a poncho with a hood that was self-made and covered her arms and her whole upper body, and a pair of too small shoes that she wore until they didn't hurt her feet anymore – or maybe at some point she just stopped noticing the pain. Of course, all of these clothes were dirty and she was more than glad to have the opportunity to take them off and wash all the grime and dirt off her body.

She jumped into one of the shower stalls, her Dauntless gear, consisting of a pair of tight black jeans, a black T-Shirt and black boots, in hand and took off her stuff, putting the knife on the soap holder so she could grab it in a second if there was the necessity. The water that cascaded over her body was warm and she turned it up until it almost scolded her skin, but she loved the feeling. The rain water had always left her cold and soaked and she didn't remember the last warm shower she had taken, so she enjoyed this one immensely, letting her head fall forward, not minding the water that was running into her closed eyes as it hit her head and slithered down her joints. Her hair was nearly impossible to wash as it had a few really bad knots, but she managed somehow, the soap turning it silky and smooth, similar to her skin. With the water running over her naked body, she felt all the injuries and scratches on her skin and she felt the exertion of today up to her bones.

Even though she had led quite the active life as a factionless – in comparison to the other factionless at least – she was not used to running and jumping so much on one day, added to this the psychological exertion what with choosing a faction, doing her best to keep the mask of fearlessness and bravery in place the whole time and withstand being jibed at by the others for her origin, she was pretty worn out. The warm water soothed her nerves, though, and soon she felt more awake and fresh than in a long time. She hurried to dry herself before she put on the clothes, even though the t-shirt was tight, it did sag a little bit on her quite thin frame and the shoes were a size too large, but she didn't mind – she felt clean and really good, the size of her clothes didn't matter. She put the knife into the belt, easily visible for anyone and brushed her hair over one shoulder, before she took her old clothes and headed to the Pit.

"You're late." She heard Four's voice nag from her side as she stepped onto the platform above the Pit, eyeing the people already gathered down there – it seemed as though all Dauntless gathered to celebrate the new initiates who were already sitting at long tables, food and drinks before them, several drinking as if it was their last day. _It could be,_ she thought, contemplating the possibility that she could be kicked out of the Faction again, if she didn't do well. Her expression became dark.

"Sorry, didn't want to dirty the new clothes with Factionless grime." She dead-panned, her eyes twinkling daringly but Four only shook his head once, raising his hand to indicate a great container at the side of the Pit, warmth obviously radiating out of it. "That's where you're supposed to put your old clothes. Burn them, together with your past to acknowledge your new Faction as the only one. Go on."

Rhea nodded and made her way over, not hesitating the slightest bit at throwing her old stuff in there, watching with satisfaction as the flames licked at the garments. She would do everything to keep the Factionless clothes there, in the burning container, never to be on her body again. She turned around and went down the stairs, about to go sit down at one of the tables, her stomach already churning at the smell of warm food, as the hall fell silent at the words of the leader appearing before them on the platform where she'd been a few seconds before.

"Initiates! You have now officially turned your backs on your old Factions and are welcomed with open arms by the Dauntless! Bear in mind that you have to pass all three stages of Initiation to become a full member! But for now, let us celebrate your decision to be brave and fearless!"

The hall erupted in cheers and applause and Rhea sucked in her breath as she was suddenly grabbed by at least two pairs of arms, keeping her in a horizontal position above the heads of the other Dauntless that have all jumped up, raising the other initiates as well. She didn't feel exactly well, not having solid ground under her feet and feeling the hands of people on her, but she kept silent, watching the other laughing and cheering initiates with curious eyes, not quite ready to open up as much to the Dauntless as they did.

They were let down on the floor shortly after and Rhea straightened her shirt, brushing her long hair over one shoulder again and checking for her knife at her side, her fingers sliding tenderly over the edge of her beloved blade.

"Hey, Factionless Girl!"

She pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes as she heard Crowley's voice above the sound of loud music and cheers. "I thought you _didn't_ want to insult me, brat?", she took her knife out of the belt, turned around and smirked up at him, flicking the blade between her fingers with ease, trying to intimidate the Dauntless-born initiate. "My knife's just waiting for a repeat performance. "

"Nah, I'll pass. Come on, little girl, let me introduce you to the big variety of alcoholic beverages in which we will indulge to celebrate you looking so fine in these Dauntless clothes." He grinned down at her, obviously quite inebriated already and she slapped his arm, although she admitted he was quite charming. Or maybe she just hadn't had enough contact with teenage boys when she was their age. Probably that, yes.

"I'm not little." She retorted and he laughed but was interrupted by a sneer coming from behind Rhea.

"Let's all hope that you'll be able to keep those clothes then, huh, Factionless?" Rhea's nearly good mood vanished within a millisecond and her grip on the knife tightened as she turned around slowly, staring into the eyes of Trevor who was flanked by two boys and a girl she didn't know, the four of them very much intoxicated.

She just raised an eyebrow at them and scoffed, decided to ignore the comment, instead grabbing Crowley by his arm and dragging him away from the four laughing kids. "I guess I have a rival. Little prick.", she murmured darkly and Crowley laughed.

"Don't worry, Trev's a dog that barks but doesn't bite. He's a little shit, but his threats are empty." Said a boy at the table Crowley had been leading her to. She looked up to see the boy that came in second after Crowley onto the platform, a boy with Asian features, a piercing in his lower lip and a tattoo on his collarbone. "I'm Cho."

"Rhea." She nodded at him and sat down next to Crowley. There were others at the table, too, none of them she knew from the sleeping room, so she suspected them to be Dauntless-born. How weird. Her, a Factionless, sitting at a table full of Dauntless members. "I'm not worried 'bout myself, rather his big mouth and that huge ego, it's gonna get him into some serious trouble someday."

"Yeah, well that's his problem." Crowley noted, stuffing a big piece of meat into his mouth and Rhea looked at him, suppressing a grin at the comical image. She accepted the mug of beer he pushed her way and downed it immediately, the bitter taste feeling weird on her tongue, but she didn't care, opting for another mug. She had never had this much to drink or eat, never before had she tried alcoholic beverages and she was curious and eager to try the whole variety that Crowley had mentioned.

"So, first jumper, how was life as a Factionless?" she was asked by a man sitting a bit further down the table after a while. She gulped and put her glass on the table, raised an eyebrow at him, her face stoic.

"Dirty.", she dead-panned.

Cho and Crowley snickered and the other man grinned, obviously not surprised by her passive attitude.

"Ever been to the transfer showers? It's similar but without the mould on the walls." She added, gaining another loud round of laughter from the three men as well as a few snickers of others sitting at the table. She watched them somehow confused. She didn't know if they laughed because they hit the booze too hard or because they found her sarcastic side funny, but she never anticipated Dauntless to be so… nice. The guards that came around every now and again were stoic and presumptuous, actually quite mean in dealing with Factionless, if she was honest, she thought all Dauntless to be more like her Train Attacker, arrogant and strict, but here she sat, surrounded by Dauntless-born laughing at her bad jokes… it was quite surprising. And it felt good. She grinned a bit.

"I like you.", the man stated and held a hand out to her. "I'm Zeke."

"I like that you don't call me Factionless like it's my name." She grinned. "Rhea." She returned the hand-shake, before they were interrupted by a voice that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

"Zeke", he said, interrupting them mid-hand-shake, Zeke still half standing up and holding her hand while her shoulders sagged. She had asked herself earlier how high the chances of seeing her Train Attacker again were. Apparently, they were humongous. Was that annoying man everywhere? Zeke raised his eyes to the man standing behind Rhea, who thought she saw an exasperated edge to the tight-lipped smile Zeke wore as he acknowledged her Train Attacker. "Four wants to talk to you."

Rhea wondered if her Train Attacker was something like Four's errand boy. That thought made her smirk.

"Right." Zeke noted curtly, turning back to Rhea with a smile on his lips. "'t was very nice meeting you, first jumper Rhea, my funny friend. Here's to you." He raised his glass of beer and emptied it at once, putting it back on the table with a loud thud before he stood up, swaying slightly for as second before grinning widely, steadying himself and after a last glance at her Train Attacker, leaving the table.

"So Zeke's nice." she commented, clearly not addressing neither Crowley nor Cho, who were both busy eating and drinking away their bodies' weight, and she started digging into her food, too; the looming presence behind her back still present but she ignored it. She knew he had something against her, even though she didn't exactly know why. Was it because she injured him? Was he angry because he was overpowered – even if it was just for a split second – by a girl, a former Factionless at that? She had the advantage that they all didn't see it coming. Neither he nor Trevor thought her to pose any kind of threat, but living among Factionless, she had learned to use a blade to her protection, even though she might not look like it. It wasn't her fault that they were careless enough to dismiss her so easily and sarcasm became second nature to her – he couldn't possibly hold a grudge because of that remark before her jump.

"Don't be too late for training, Factionless; I won't let it go unpunished like Four did." The people around her seemed to grow silent as they listened to his hissed threat, but she paid him no mind. Who was he to tell her what to do? And why was he constantly calling her Factionless? Sure, she was the Factionless Girl during the Choosing Ceremony, but within the Dauntless Headquarters, she became Rhea, the Dauntless Initiate. The life as Factionless laid behind her and she wasn't about to think back on it. Instead of reacting to him, she continued eating the first real meal she had in ages. She felt Crowley's hand on her arm again and shrugged him off again – she wasn't going to back down before that asshole who continued to give her a hard time a day into her being a Dauntless Initiate. She already couldn't stand him. And why the hell was Crowley even constantly trying to get her to bow down before him? Was he scared or something?

"Didn't you hear me, Factionless?" the Train Attacker hissed, grabbing her hair at the nape of her neck and jerking harshly, though not strong enough to elicit a satisfactory sound of pain from her lips. She inhaled sharply, narrowing her eyes, her hand wandering to her thigh unnoticed and she grabbed her knife before she threw it up unsteadily, the alcohol already influencing her senses, as she was aiming at his left hand holding her hair in a tight grip, but she missed, seeing as he had seen the attack coming and grabbed her right hand with his right, jerked his other hand holding her hair away, effectively tugging her head to the side, making her whole body turn to the side as well so that she was half-facing him. Still, she made no sound of pain, grinding her teeth until it hurt and narrowing her eyes furiously. She wouldn't show weakness. She _couldn't _show weakness.

"I asked you a question, Factionless. Answer it." He demanded, threat again looming in his cold iron eyes and she gulped, not knowing how much longer she would keep the aloof façade.

"I thought I was supposed to shut my mouth whenever your majesty is talking." She answered sarcastically, mockery making her eyes light up as she saw his fury. _Shit. _She didn't know what she was doing but his burning eyes told her that she should shut up already. Her retort made him tighten his grip around her hair and hand as he pushed her arm closer to her face, the sharp tip of the knife grazing over her skin as she felt him lean down, lips at her ear as he whispered, his voice carrying an edge as sharp as ice. "Watch your mouth, Factionless, or you'll get a scar matching the bruises on your neck and face.", he referred to the injuries she'd suffered from their impromptu clash on the train.

"A cut across the cheek like yours? Well, I _did_ say it suited you quite well, didn't I?" She mocked, the beer making her mouth once again act faster than her brain and she scolded herself for the stupidity, although it wasn't entirely her fault – she wasn't used to back down or submit to anyone who challenged her so openly.

"I'll make sure that it won't suit you when it cuts your eyeball out." He hissed back, his sadist vein showing through as his voice raised the hairs at the nape of her neck and she became rigid again, while she raised a corner of her mouth into an appreciative yet desperate half-smirk. He was an asshole but at least he had a good comeback in tow. Still she didn't believe that she could keep that impudence up any longer, the fear nibbling at her brain as she felt her fingers going numb from the pressure with which he was holding her wrist captive. She blamed the fact that she couldn't fully see him and his dangerously blazing eyes for her continuous impertinence.

"Alright boss, I'll be on time." She nodded at last, convinced that weakness and fear were about to resurface as the tip of her knife almost pierced her skin before suddenly, she felt his hands let go of her after a final, hurtful squeeze, which – to her regret – made her squeal in pain, before she put the knife away, turning back to her food and eating as if nothing happened, ignoring the inquisitive and impressed gazes on her and silently missing the hood or the shadows that could have hidden her shaking form. The effect of the alcohol has quite obviously worn off and she lowered her head, making her hair fall in front of her face like a veil as she collected her thoughts, steadying her breathing and calming her racing heart. In this moment, she wasn't strong or brave, she was scared. Something inside of her had just snapped and she had to collect herself right now if she didn't want everybody to see her this upset.

"Well, there's little doubt now.", she perked up at that comment, waiting for the continuation. "You're either Dauntless or very, very stupid." Cho commented after a while and she looked up at the boy on the other side of the table, who gave her an almost sympathetic look, at which she just smiled crookedly, while the others started to laugh.

In that moment, she was convinced that Erudite would have definitely been her last choice.

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><p><em>I hope you liked it!<em>

_Let me know in a review, please :)_

_Until next time!_


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